We review the Suzuki Vitara SZ5 from price to economy and all its features

Road Test

by Nick Francis

1st May 2015, 3:48 pm

Updated: 8th February 2017, 10:57 am

ASK anyone in the street which car manufacturer started the SUV craze and chances are you'll get a mumbled: "Nissan Qashqai?" But they are wrong — Suzuki has been peddling "soft-roaders" since the early Eighties.

Models such as the Jimny and Vitara were lapped up across the globe and particularly in the US, where they fell for its funky urban styling and ability to venture off the beaten path.

The first generation Vitara now looks like a fridge on wheels compared with today's stylish SUVs. But Suzuki hopes it can ride the wave of crossover popularity in the UK with an all-new, sharply suited mud-plugging model.

It's not a bad strategy either, as more than ten per cent of all new car sales in the UK during 2014 were from the crossover segment.

So Suzuki believe it can easily shift at least 6,000 of its restyled Vitaras to us Brits this year.

So what is the new Vitara like? Well, it's pretty standard SUV fare from the outside.

Feather-light steering and comfy suspension Chunky cladding protects the underside from rocks, a raised ride height gives it enough clearance over deep puddle and sharp creases in the flanks and bonnet mean it can slice through the air.

The top-grade SZ5 models come with swanky LED headlamps, which do their best to get it up to Range Rover Evoque levels of stylishness, but just fall short.

Inside, it's fairly basic, with enough head and legroom in the back to happily seat the kids or smaller family members.

A touchscreen infotainment system provides navigation and tunes in the mid-range models upwards. It's roomy enough, but if you need more space, Suzuki will happily sell you the slightly larger SX4 S-Cross. The interior is not as good as rivals from Nissan, Skoda and Vauxhall. The plastics feel a bit cheap and bare screws pop out from most crevices.

But the range starts at just £13,999, which is a few quid cheaper than a similarly specced and slightly smaller Nissan Juke.

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On the plus side, Suzuki's latest offering drives well. Customers will get a choice of a 1.6-litre diesel or 1.6-litre petrol engine at launch, the former emitting 106g/ km of CO2 and returning a mighty impressive 70.6mpg (combined).

The diesel engine is quiet and refined considering the cost of the car but it lacks low-down torque.

The petrol model feels more exciting, as it likes to be revved, but this car is never going to set pants on fire with its performance.

Instead, it's a decent family cruiser with feather-light steering and a comfortable suspension set-up for those long slogs.

But in true Suzuki style, the marque offers its hardy new Vitara with a proper AllGrip four-wheel drive system, allowing the driver to lock the differential, engage hill-descent mode and tackle some sizeable climbs.

The Vitara might not be the most seductive small SUV, but with AllGrip technology it's one of the most capable — and affordable.

NEED something smaller and sportier? Try a Swift.

Suzuki's current model line-up has just five cars. Buyers can opt for the tiny Celerio, get more space in the SX 4-Cross or tear it up off-road in the Jimny.